Dark Mirror: Tournament of Vengeance
by Organ Man
Summary: Part 4 of the Dark Mirror Saga. It's the Lily of the Valley Tournament, and Ash is eager to face off against his ultimate rival, Paul. But what he wasn't counting on was Alessa Gillespie. She remembers the deal they made in Silent Hill, and she's going to make sure he follows through.
1. Prologue

Here it is, folks! The long-anticipated part 4 of the Dark Mirror saga! As always, I ask you to read and review. I really want to know how this story is going and how I can improve. So with that in mind…enjoy!

* * *

The apartment was dimly lit, casting several glass boxes and their chittering inhabitants in shadow. Spinarak, Yanma, Paras and Durant were settling down for the night, snug and secure in their cases. One of the Kricketunes decided to try a play a very screechy lullaby for the benefit of the other bugs.

"Be quiet." The girl in the other room commanded. The Kricketune immediately obeyed, silencing his instrument and chittering a small apology. All the bugs knew better than to annoy their master.

The girl was staring at her apartment's television, watching a news broadcast on the upcoming Lily of the Valley conference. Every so often, a dark shape that wasn't an insect would hover around her, only to be shooed away. The reporter was cheerfully babbling about the contests, battles and other events to come, but the girl wasn't really paying attention to her.

Part of the pre-tournament story was a list of all the participants, with a few spotlights on important trainers/contesters. The girl wasn't interested in the show as much as who would be there.

_"…and here, gathered together for the annual participation photo, are all the trainers that will be battling in the Lily of the Valley Battle tournament. Trainers gathered from all the regions, from Kanto to Hoenn and even Fiore, all brought here today."_

The image on the screen shifted, presenting a huge crowd of Pokemon trainers standing together in the stadium, looking up at the camera. The girl's eyes scanned the crowd intently. The screen was too grainy to make out any details, but she thought that in the right hand corner, representing the trainers coming from the Kanto region, she saw who she was looking for…

The shot panned over the crowd, getting closer to the trainers. _"Judges and referees have speculated that this is the greatest collection of Pokemon trainers to come to Lily of the Valley in years. Trainers include local legend Tobias Machima, popular contest performer Nando…"_

_There._

There was no doubt now. That was him. The camera crew didn't think he was important enough to stay on, but the trainer with the baseball cap and jacket was all the girl needed to see. A small, satisfied smile appeared on her face, and she looked down. Lying on the table in front of her was a very important doll.

As she took a cutting knife and sewing needle out, the television continued jabbering on heedless of her diverted attention. _"…and making a special visit to the tournament is Pyramid King Brandon, taking a break from his Frontier Brain duties to participate in the battles. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview later today."_

The girl scoffed, bringing the small cutting knife down on the doll. She was sure that title was very important and this visit was big news, but this 'Brandon' wasn't important. Really, none of them were. There was only one trainer here that mattered to her.

It's not like she was…obsessed with him, oh no. It wasn't like that. She might not be the most…decent person on the planet, but she wasn't like that. She had made a deal with that trainer, and that bargain had to be kept. That was all.

Though she _was_ looking forward to seeing him again.

_"To kick off the festivities, we've asked a native of Sinnoh, young up-and-comer Paul Shinji, to light the ceremonial torch that will burn until the tournament ends…"_

The girl put down the knife and focused on the sewing, though her eyes involuntarily flickered up to see the colossal flame being lit. The torch was being held by some purple-haired kid with a smug smile on his face. He probably wasn't as important as he thought he was.

It didn't take long to finish her work. Taking the doll into her hands, she placed it inside a handy shoebox. Before she closed the box up, she took out a sheet of paper and wrote a note to the gift's recipient. It was only a few sentences, but the trainer she was sending this to would understand.

The box was closed, wrapped up and addressed as the ceremony fireworks started to go off. She could hear them from outside her window.

_"And with the lighting of the League Torch, the Lily of the Valley conference is underway. I think it's safe to say that this year's tournament battles will be unforgettable."_

Alessa Gillespie couldn't resist a dark chuckle. "You have no idea."


	2. Chapter 1

A few days later…

The videophone rang three times before Professor Oak finally picked up. _"Oh, Hello Ash. Which one of your Pokemon do you want this time?" _the old gentleman asked.

Ash smiled at his professor, Pikachu giving him a wave. "Yeah, can you send me Heracross? I'm sending back Tauros. I think this 'Ramos' guy is a big fan of Grass types, and Charizard is still recovering from the third match."

Ash was contacting the Professor from the Trainer's Lounge, a recreation/communication room reserved for participants of the Lily of the Valley tournament. It had everything from comfy chairs to arcade games, with a window overlooking the main arena. It was a fairly crowded room, with trainers boasting about their accomplishments and placing bets on who'd get where in the tourney. The videophones/ transfer systems were slightly removed from the main lodge, which gave the users a small degree of privacy.

Oak couldn't resist a chuckle. _"I know Ramos. Did his outfit give him away?"_ he asked jokingly.

"That, the fact he called me a 'sprout', the fact that he used Grass types in his last 2 fights, and he's the grass-type gym leader in another region, yeah." Ash snorted.

_"Huh." _Oak remarked. _"Specialized trainers usually make up for their weaknesses by being exceptionally skilled, or faking out their opponents and keeping a surprise Pokemon in the back. Maybe you should take a Pokemon that's strong against types that are strong against grass…if you know what I mean." _

"Yeah, I gotcha." Ash nodded.

Professor thought for a moment. _"So…how are you doing?"_ he asked, a slight undertone of concern in his voice.

"Good." Ash answered. "Can you…transfer Heracross over?"

_"Of course." _Oak agreed, setting up the transfer. The Pokeballs on both their computers vanished, as the transfer system activated. _"You're not…still upset over Paul getting the torch?" _

Ash shook his head. "No, I'm fine. There's always next year." He shrugged, tapping his finger and waiting for the transfer to complete.

_"You sure? Delia said that you took it pretty hard."_

"I'm fine!" Ash suddenly snapped, causing both Pikachu and Oak to jump back. "I…I'm sorry. It's just…that guy REALLY doesn't deserve to light the torch…" Ash's entire body tensed up.

_"Misty mentioned you had a history with this Paul…"_

"Paul is a jerk…no, he's WORSE than a jerk! You know what he did to Chimchar? He threw him onto the battlefield after Nurse Joy told him not to, since HE overtrained him the night before, and then when he froze up, he just…abandoned him! And everybody just forgot about it!"

_"Ash, careful what you say, he's right…"_

"HE IS NOT RIGHT!" Ash shouted, frightening Oak and attracting stares from the rest of the room. "He is not right! He keeps saying that HIS methods are better than mine and they're not, he keeps saying he's better than me and he's not, he keeps saying that HE'S the new model of training for future trainers and he shouldn't – "

_"ASH!"_

Ash stopped, catching his breath. Ashamed, his head fell into his hands. The other trainers, deciding it was some kid venting his frustrations and none of their business, turned away from Ash. Pikachu came up to Ash and gave him a soothing rub.

Oak shook his head. _"Your rivalry with Gary was never like this. You're taking this far too personally."_

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I just…" Ash took a deep breath, trying to keep himself composed. "I saw him when he got the invite to light the torch. I asked him how he got the honor, and he said…he said, 'it's better for trainers like ME to inspire the league, rather than pathetic weaklings like YOU'. Right to my face, like I was nothing…"

_"Ash, you are not weak. He's wrong about that."_

Ash blinked. "Then why did you say he was right?"

Oak shook his head. _"That's not what I was saying at all. I thought I saw him behind you, but I guess I was mistaken."_

Ash whirled around, hoping that Paul hadn't overheard his outburst. Sure enough, the purple-haired trainer was nowhere to be seen. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Ash turned back to the professor.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I really am. It's just…I have to prove him wrong. I HAVE to! This is my last chance to beat him, to show him…"

_"Ash, relax." _Oak smiled again. _"I've dealt with trainers like him before. Heck, my grandson was like that for a while. They think they're the ultimate trainer, better than absolutely everybody, absolutely sure that they'll walk out with the trophy. But believe me when I tell you, that ego never survives a big tournament like this."_

Ash sighed. "Thanks, Oak, but I need more than that. I have to beat him, prove that I'm not some weakling he can push around…"

_"I understand that, Ash. But please, put things into perspective and don't get obsessed with being the victor. It won't be healthy for you or your Pokemon."_ Oak warned with dead seriousness.

Ash hesitated for a moment. Looking down, he saw that the transfer had been completed, and Heracross' Pokeball had finally transferred. "I will, Oak. Don't worry." Ash promised, picking up the Pokeball. "See you later, professor."

_"Goodbye, Ash, and Good luck! Remember what I said."_ Professor Oak nodded before hanging up.

* * *

The town on the south end of Lily of the Valley had gone through many technological advancements courtesy of Larousse City imports, and looked every bit the modern city. Everything was built around keeping the trainers that came for the tournament comfortable, with apartment buildings, Pokemon training grounds, restaurants and temporary hotels built almost exclusively for Pokemon trainers. A new monorail connected almost every part of the town to the stadium, and more than a few cafes were dotted around the town.

At one of those cafes just outside the Trainer's Lounge, two young trainers were relaxing in the sunlight, casually chatting while they waited for their friend. They were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn't notice the sneering purple-haired boy walk out of the building.

"It's great to see you again, Misty." Brock remarked. "What have you been up to?"

"Well, maintaining the gym and challenging trainers is a full time job. But I get a lot of downtime between trainers, so I've been reading a lot." Misty dug into her bag and brought out several small novels. "There's this new series out. 'Mysteries of the Past World.'"

Brock nodded. "I read about that in the paper. There's been some controversy since it advocates a weird theory about the origin of the world."

"Well, yeah, there's that, but it's mostly an exciting tale about an archeologist facing strange creatures and dangerous conspiracies while trying to unlock the secrets of his past. It's really good!"

"Maybe I'll check it out…hang on." Brock's phone suddenly began ringing, and he promptly picked it up. "Hey, Professor Oak…really? Yeah…he's been taking it pretty hard since…you know…don't worry, he hasn't been taking it out on his Pokemon. He's just been…pretty restless. I know, he's never been like this before…uhuh. Yeah. I'll keep an eye on him. Don't worry. Okay, talk to you later."

Misty sighed. "Ash?"

Brock nodded, exhaling deeply. "Ever since…that thing with the orphanage, he's been really intense. He's focused almost entirely on beating Paul at this tournament. I keep telling him to relax, he keeps saying he will, but I have no idea if he means it or…"

Misty tapped him on the shoulder. "Quiet, Brock, he's coming out."

Brock turned around to greet his friend, a big smile on his face. Sure enough, Ash was just coming towards the doorway. Placing his hand on a small square, the door opened and a voice said "Thanks for using the Trainer's Lounge, Ash Ketchum. Come again, and good luck at the Battle Tournament."

Ash stepped out to greet his friends. "Hey guys. Boy, talk about personalized greetings."

Brock laughed. "Yeah, this place has gone nuts with that stuff. I hear the automatic drink vendors are programmed to refer you by name."

"They're trying to dress up the DNA security features." Misty sighed. "Honestly. Using DNA scanners to make sure only registered trainers get their free sodas! What's wrong with passports?"

"It's all the fraud attempts. Crooks have been getting smarter and smarter with fake passports. So the Pokemon League has to be just as smart in their security measures."

Three totally-legit-tourists with big sunglasses overheard and quietly bemoaned their even more difficult jobs.

"Ah, whatever." Ash shrugged. "Come on, I wanna get some training in with Heracross before my fight with Ramon!"

The three friends walked away, eager to practice at the trainer grounds.

* * *

The purple haired trainer sitting at another table didn't glance up to see Ash going. Of course he didn't. That annoying prat was beneath his attention. He couldn't care less where that juvenile weakling was running off to with his friends.

Paul was more interested in the battler sheet he had printed out at the lounge. Reading the biographies of the trainers, he could take an educated guess as to who he would fight after he won the next match. But he wasn't just looking for his next fight. He was making sure that there wouldn't be anyone who could challenge his real arch-enemy.

Not that Ash loser. While it was quite flattering that the kid had all but declared Paul his arch-nemesis, he was nobody. Pathetic. Not worth his time. Although Paul wasn't above fantasizing that the naïve little weakling would take his training methods to heart, learning that the only way to be the best trainer was to be like him…heh. He wouldn't just be the best trainer in Sinnoh, he would be the model for aspiring trainers everywhere. Not that he would ever beat him. Not in a million years.

No. It was Brandon, the pyramid king, the one who inspired him. Sooner or later, Paul would face him again. And then he would prove, once and for all, that he was the ultimate trainer.

This was going to be an unforgettable tournament.


	3. Chapter 2

"Welcome back to the Lillium, Ash Ketchum. Have a good night."

Ash was starting to get VERY annoyed with all the personal greetings. When morning came, he was going to ask the hotel if there was some way he could mute them. Right now, he just wanted to go to bed.

The luxury hotel he was staying at had a special discount for tournament participants and their families. Naturally, it had a significant lily motif, with flowered wallpaper and potted plants. The highlights on the walls were deep purple, with lots of classy pictures of Pokemon.

It was all quite fancy, and Ash himself would've been happy with a simpler motel like the ones his friends were staying at. But he wanted the person staying with him to have a very comfortable stay.

Said person was waiting with a cooked dinner despite the hotel's room service. "Welcome back, honey!" Delia sang. "I cooked you your favorite, spaghetti with meatballs!"

Ash chuckled, setting his bag down. "Thanks, mom. Never change." Pikachu chirped his agreement, all too excited to sample Delia's home cooking.

The two-person hotel room had everything – a minibar, kitchen, tv, dining room for guests, leather chairs and couches, and free internet. It was definitely a lot fancier – and a lot more expensive – than Ash was used to sleeping in. But hey, he'd gotten quite a lot of money from his travels, and since Mom insisted on being here for this tournament, she deserved some real comfort. Especially after how Ash had treated her over the last year.

The two sat down to eat. After a little small talk regarding the personalized greetings, the table became troublingly quiet. Even over the dinner table, Ash was thinking about strategies for his inevitable fight with Paul.

_I'm not stupid, I can think strategically! That last fight was just…I was having an off day. An off year. It doesn't matter. Anyway. Ursaring and Electivire are his heavy hitters, so I should definitely prepare for them…but he used them against me in the first fight, so what if he plans around it? Sees me coming with Infernape and Donphan, and fakes me out with a strong water type? I hate to admit it, but he's really damn good at strategies…and he's seen me fight. Okay, Infernape is still my best bet against his Froslass, Aggron and Torterra…but Torterra and Aggron could hit him with a ground type move. And I can't put my entire strategy on Infernape and Pikachu…I gotta prove I'm not stupid and weak…hm?_

"Ash, I'm really, really sorry." Delia was insisting.

Ash shook his head clear, bringing himself back to reality. "Wh-what? I'm sorry, I was just thinking…sorry about what?"

"About…not telling you about your dad…"

Ash sighed. "Mom, it's OK. I forgave you a long time ago. Where did this come from."

"Well…" Delia rubbed her arm, her 'tell' that she was nervous. "You seemed upset…and you've been really moody lately…"

Ash groaned aloud. "Oak called you, didn't he?"

Delia nodded. "Brock did too. They're worried…and so am I."

Ash rubbed his forehead. "Look mom…I'm just stressed." Looking up, he saw the guilt in his mother's eyes. "It's nothing you did! I'm not upset at you, I swear. I'm upset at this other trainer, Paul. Not you."

"Why are so fixated on beating him?" Delia asked. "You don't even know that you'll face him in the tournament."

"I will." Ash insisted. "He's not gonna drop out. I'm going to fight him, I know I will. And I have to prove that I'm not a weakling like he thinks I am! I have to BEAT him! I HAVE to!"

Delia held up her hands, worried. "Ash…calm down. Please."

"I'm not weak, I'm not…" Ash muttered before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry. But this is really important to me."

"And I respect that." Delia assured her son. She got up out of her chair and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm just worried that you're going to burn yourself out or… worse. I just don't want to lose you again. No tournament, no rivalry, is worth that."

Ash looked up at his mother. She didn't understand. But at the same time…she was right. He was burning himself out. All over another trainer who barely acknowledged his existence. Who he wasn't even fighting yet. Why was he envisioning strategies against him when it was this grass trainer who he needed to worry about right now?

Ash nodded, smiling reassuringly. "Ok mom."

Delia patted her son's shoulder. "Ok, honey. Just…get some sleep, okay? You haven't been sleeping very well lately. Maybe things will be better once you've had some rest."

Ash sighed with exasperation. "Okay, mom. Thank you."

* * *

There was no rest that night. Not for Ash.

It started normally enough. A battle with his rival Paul that wasn't going well. Ash tried to issue a command that he KNEW would turn the match around, but for some reason, his mouth wouldn't work right.

Paul took out his Pokemon in seconds, that smirk never leaving his face. You're pathetic.

Ash growled, not making a sound. He'd had this nightmare several times over the last few weeks. But then something happened.

A loud voice, presumably the announcer's, boomed. **And now that that's out of the way, time for the main event!**

Something moved behind Paul. Ash knew what it was. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he had to stop him from hurting Paul before it was too late. He rushed forward, but something made him fall down on his face. When he looked, thick wires were wrapped around his knees.

He looked at Paul. Whatever was behind him moved. Paul fell forward, but it wasn't because his knees were tied. His knees were gone. His legs were gone. He fell to the ground, that smirk never leaving his face.

NO! Ash cried without making a sound. He tried to pull himself forward, but his arms weren't responding. They were numb with pain.

A gunshot. The Pokemon that Paul had sent out crumpled to the ground, a burnt mess.

Whatever was behind Paul forced him up. He was still smirking. You're pathetic. Paul said just before his throat was slit.

**You're weak. **The announcer agreed.

I AM NOT WEAK! Ash desperately screamed.

His vision was filled with Ash's face. No, not his face. It was almost the same, but different in ways Ash couldn't put his finger on. It smirked at him.

_Prove it._

Ash had been having nightmares like those for a long time. He was almost used to them. That was why he didn't jolt out of bed, screaming like he would've done years ago. He just opened his eyes.

The trainer sat up, rubbing his eyes clear of bad dreams. Even in the darkness of the hotel room, he could tell that Pikachu was sleeping soundly in his luxury basket. Mom was snoring in the next room. Not wanting to wake either of them up, Ash carefully tiptoed out of bed and went into the kitchen, silent as a mouse.

Pouring himself a drink of water, Ash thought about this latest nightmare. Was he seriously fantasizing about Paul getting killed? That was horrible. Paul was…a lot of things, but he didn't deserve that. He might've been asking for a good slug to the face, but not getting killed.

Then again, the nightmare wasn't really about Paul.

Ash sipped at the calming water. Pathetic. Weak. Helpless. Worthless. Ineffectual. Those words rang through his head constantly these days. In Paul's voice. In…**his** voice. **Her** voice. Ash didn't want to think about them, but they were still there.

There was nothing he hated more than feeling like there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could accomplish. Like he was just…there, and had to WATCH things happen without changing their outcome.

But that happened so many times…

Ash shook his head. _No. Don't think about it. Think positively. Think about the tournament. You are going to win this competition. You're going to beat Paul. You're going to make it all worth it. You're going to do great. Everything is going to be fine._

With that in mind, Ash put his glass down and started walking back to his bed. He needed his rest for his upcoming battle. Unfortunately, between the darkness of the night and his distracted, sleep-addled mind, he tried to go through the wrong door and touched the wrong panel.

"Hello, Ash Ketchum! Please be advised that breakfast will not be served in the main lobby until 8:00 amand the hotel pool will not be open until 9:00 am. Please go back to bed."

Now fully awake, Ash groaned aloud. He DEFINITELY wanted to get those stupid personal greetings turned off.

* * *

A short distance outside the main stadium was a small public park. There really wasn't much to it…a few benches underneath large trees, with streetlamps to illuminate the paved walkways. Flowers dotted the lawn (lilies, of course) and one of the benches had a perfect view of the town and the stadium. It was widely considered the most romantic spot in Lily of the Valley island.

That opinion was shared by the young couple sitting on the bench, staring out at the beautiful lights of the city. "Isn't it amazing, Shelley?"

"It really is, Caleb." His fiancé agreed. "What a wonderful night."

"Oh yeah." Caleb chuckled. "Clear skies, lots of stars, gorgeous lights, nothing but us and…" Caleb suddenly paused.

"Caleb? What's wrong?" Shelley asked, concerned.

"Nothing…have you noticed how quiet it is?"

Shelley listened. While there was the distant noise of practicing trainers from the stadium and late-night bustle from the city, the park itself was completely silent. "Yeah…there's normally Hoothoot and Kricketune singing here."

Caleb shrugged. "Maybe they all got scared away by all the trainers. It's been pretty busy lately."

"Caleb?"

"Huh?"

"Someone's here…"

Turning around, Caleb saw someone coming towards them. The streetlamps cast strange shadows, keeping the person from being totally visible. What was clear was that he was holding something big…and sharp…and coming towards them…Caleb instinctively inched closer to Shelley, holding onto her hand…preparing themselves to run…

"Well, hey there, whippersnappers! Enjoyin' the park, are yeh?"

The old man was short, hunched over and seemed to be constantly squinting at them. He was wearing an old fashioned outfit and gardening gloves, and his white beard was cut to resemble leaves. The sharp object he was carrying was just a pair of gardening sheers, which he was using as a walking cane. He had a friendly smile on his face, and it was very clear he wouldn't give them any trouble.

Caleb breathed a sigh of slightly embarrassed relief. Seriously, why had he been on edge just then? "Er…yeah."

"Can't say I blame yeh." The old man nodded. "This park is beautiful. I should know, I helped plant half the trees!" He looked around as if seeing the place for the first time. "Haven't been here in 40 odd years…wonder why…"

The couple just shrugged and got up. "W-well, we'll just get going." Caleb remarked. "I gotta get Shelley home. Good night, gramps."

"G'night, sprouts!" the old man chuckled as the couple walked back to their car. Once they were out of sight, he took another look at the trees around him. His mind wasn't as good as it had been once, and his memories were a little spotty. "Planted that one when we made this park…that un's new…I think...Why did I never come 'ere?" he asked himself before shrugging and walking away. Maybe he'd remember in the morning.

Underneath the park, just under the surface, something rumbled…


	4. Chapter 3

The fight with Ramos went by in a blur. While Ramos was a skilled gym leader and knew how to use his Grass-type's moves, Ash had defeated him fairly easily. He'd spent the entire fight waiting for a curveball that never came. The entire day would've passed without incident if it wasn't for two things.

The first was just after the fight. Ash and his friends were hanging around in the stadium halls, which were surprisingly empty. Then again, there was another battle happening between Pyramid King Brandon and one of the Fiore Elite Four, so everybody was probably sitting at the stadium. There was a booth selling imitation badges, but the owners had suddenly disappeared when the group had approached them. The only other things of interest were automatic drink and food kiosks imported from Larousse City.

The three of them were buying drink from an automatic drink kiosk. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder as usual, while Misty and Brock were looking at Ash with slight envy.

Ash pressed his hand against a white square on the food kiosk. Beedling in recognition, the machine dispensed a free hot dog to the tournament participant. A small image of Ash's face displayed on another small screen with the words 'Enjoy the free hot dog, Ash Ketchum. Remember, only one per day!'

"Free food." Misty groaned. "This place is REALLY trying to make trainers comfy."

Ash chuckled. "Relax, Mist. I can't get more than one of everything a day."

"And what is 'everything'?" Brock asked.

"Hotdog, hamburger, soft drink, hot drink, salad, breakfast, coffee, candy bar, chips, dinner entrée, ice cream…"

"Pika." Pikachu rolled his eyes.

"So basically, you can eat for an entire day for free." Misty sighed. She ordered a drink from the kiosk, but in order to get it she had to swipe her trainer card, costing her money from her bank account. The drink poured itself into a cup that she grabbed. "You are so lucky."

"Hey, I gotta earn it!" Ash defended. "Fighting in this tournament is hard. I just make it LOOK easy." He smirked confidently.

Misty just rolled her eyes. "Sure you do. But I gotta tell you, I've seen some of the other contestants practice, and they are going to give you a run for your money."

"That's putting it mildly." A new voice entered the conversation. Ash looked up to see that Paul had walked up to the kiosk and ordered a drink. He tensed up, but held his tongue as Paul continued. "As the tournament continues, the weak will be culled from the strong."

Pikachu hissed, and Ash growled under his breath. "Didn't think you were so philosophical, _Paul_."

"It's not philosophy." Paul remarked, keeping his back turned from Ash. "It's fact. You'll see. Sooner or later, weak trainers like you will drop out of the tournament, and the final rounds will truly test the mettle of the region's strongest trainers."

Ash's fist bunched up. "I. Am. Not. Weak."

Paul just scoffed. "You've lost every tournament you've entered, you've lost every time we faced, and from the look of it…" Paul glanced at Misty and Brock. "You've coasted into the league with favors from your friends."

"HEY!" Misty snapped before Brock pulled her back. "Don't talk to him like that, you rude little brat!"

Paul snorted. "At least you got rid of that troublesome one. Still, one of the weakest of the Kanto gym leaders?"

That was the last straw. Furiously, Ash grabbed Paul by the shoulder and forced him to look at Ash. "**DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!**" he snarled, Pikachu growling alongside him.

Paul would've retorted right away, but hesitated. Now that he had to look at Ash, a rather uncomfortable fact became apparent. Somehow, between the last the time they had spoken and now, this weak trainer had grown to be almost a full head taller than Paul. If he wanted to look Ash in the eye, he had to look up. And from the look on his face…

It took a second, but Paul found his voice again. "Is…is that the best you can do? You know you can't take me in a battle, so…you think you threaten me like this?" he tried to look confident, but he was more nervous than he let on.

Ash sighed and let go. If someone accused him of attacking another contestant, even someone like Paul, that would be the end of the tournament for him. He couldn't do anything now. "I'm not going to lose when we fight again."

Paul rubbed his shoulder. "What makes you think you'll last long enough to face me?"

Brock came between Ash and Paul. "Did you come here just to insult us?"

"No…I came here for a drink. You were just here." Paul shook his head and walked away, trying to look cool. "Goodbye."

"You weren't kidding about how much of a jerk he was." Misty remarked coldly.

Ash glared daggers at the retreating Paul. "There's three other drink stands in the hall, he just came here to rub it in…"

"He's trying to bait you, Ash." Brock told Ash. "Get under your skin, set you off for your fight. Don't let him get to you."

Ash tried to relax. "I won't. I'll beat him…and he'll never talk to me like that again." He declared, walking away from the kiosk.

Brock and Misty looked at each other before following him.

As soon as he was sure that Ash couldn't see him, Paul breathed a sigh of relief. Pulling up his shirt sleeve, he saw several small, shallow bruises where Ash had grabbed him. He didn't understand. How did that little brat get so tall? Strong, too…Ash hadn't yanked his shoulder that hard, but Paul couldn't shake the feeling that if Ash had tried to, he could've seriously bruised his shoulder…or worse…

Paul shook his head clear. He was being ridiculous. Ash was too soft-hearted to do anything like that. He might've gotten stronger physically, but he was still too weak otherwise. He wasn't a threat.

Still, his determination to defeat him was amusing. Almost flattering. At least, more flattering than the irritating pandering done by Barry. Paul almost hoped he would fight Ash, if only to silence that irritating prat and prove once and for all that his training methods were superior.

Anyway, he was secondary. Brandon was important. He had just come back from watching the Pyramid King decimate some self-important trainer from Hoenn. He knew Brandon would win. There was no question. He was watching to observe Brandon's strategy. Now that he had a good idea of what to expect, he would spend the rest of his downtime training his Pokemon for that match.

He would not lose to him again.

* * *

After a long day training with his Pokemon, Ash was ready for a good dinner and a hopefully dreamless sleep. Unfortunately, when he got to his hotel room, he found a note lying in the kitchen from his mother.

_Hey honey! I'm so sorry, but there's a show I've wanted to see since I was a little girl playing in town tonight. I tried to call you, but I guess your phone was off. There's pizza in the fridge. I'll be home late. Love you!_

Ash and Pikachu sighed with disappointment at not having a home-cooked meal after a hard day, but they liked Pizza. Mom was considerate enough to get them their favorite.

While they were eating, they noticed that several piles of letters and packages had accumulated by the door. They hadn't checked their mail for some time. Might as well look now. Ash took the letters and packages, opening and reading them.

Most of it was standard junk mail – advertisements and promotions that Ash would never use (although he set aside a few coupons his mom might be interested in). There was also well wishes from friends and fans – there were letters from May, Max, Tracey, Gary, even Dawn, all telling him to take care of himself and wishing him good luck.

He wasn't expecting the nastier letters. 'Drop out now'. 'Get out while you can.' 'You won't win anyway, so just leave.' 'You'll regret going up against me'…Ash wondered if Paul had sent that. No, it wasn't like him. More likely these were cranks and crazy fans, same as all the other times he'd gotten crazy mail during a tournament. Cynthia had told Ash that there were always people like this, who let their envy get the better of them, no matter how good you might've been.

There was one that particularly puzzled him…no return address, no postage stamp, no clear threat or congratulations in the message. Just the words **Don't disappoint me, **in big letters.

"…weird." Ash tossed them all aside, and turned his attention to the packages. Pikachu sniffed the last crazy letter and hissed sourly.

Ash took the first package. A simple shoebox tied together with string. A handy knife cut through the string, and he lifted the lid off the shoebox…

And immediately jumped back in shock.

Pikachu looked at his master with concern. In the space of a second, Ash's eyes had gone wide, his face was white, his entire body was shaking. "Pikapi?" he hopped onto Ash's shoulder, hoping that would calm him down.

Ash stammered for a second before shaking his head clear. There was no way that was what he thought it was… he tried to get his breath back before leaning over the empty shoebox once again. It couldn't have been…

But it was.

It was a rabbit doll. Not a Buneary or Bunnelby doll. A rabbit. A garishly pink rabbit, wearing mottled dark blue overalls. It stared at him with wide eyes, grinning widely as it reminded him of one of the worst times of his life.

This was the doll that Alessa Gillespie was holding when she talked to him.

It all came flooding back. The girl who called herself Alyx, the butcher shop, the monsters, his eye, the creatures, Satos, her eyeless face, the nurse, Dakos…

The deal he had made with Alessa.

Ash stared at the doll, as if he could make it disappear by staring at it long and hard enough. But no. It stared back at him, never blinking, the smile never leaving it's face. Reminding him of _her_.

Trying desperately to regain his composure, Ash noticed the paper on top of the doll. A letter? Ash picked it up and turned it over in his hand.

Four words. Four simple words, but he understood what they meant. He wished to Arceus that he didn't, but he did.

_Are you stronger now?_

* * *

_Read and review, everybody._


	5. Chapter 4

For the longest time, Ash just sat there in the middle of the room, holding his head in his hands. He wasn't crying, just rubbing his forehead as if it could somehow ease some sort of headache.

Pikachu came up to him, gently nudging his hands and mewling softly. "Pikapi?" he asked, hoping his trainer was okay. They had certainly seen plenty of nasty mail during tournaments, but he'd never reacted like this. What was it about this rabbit doll?

Ash glanced up through his fingers. His eyes were miserable as he looked at his best friend. "It's her. She's here. She…"

Pikachu cocked his head, confused. There were many 'she's' in their life. What was special about this one.

Ash thought for a second before he realized something. "R-right. You have no idea whose doll this is…you weren't there when I..."

Pikachu gently pulled Ash's hand away from his face. Perching himself in front of Ash's face, he looked his trainer in the eyes. "Pika?" _Who are you talking about? Tell me, please._

Ash understood what his friend was asking. Reaching over to the box, he picked up the rabbit doll and showed it to Pikachu. "I…I saw this doll. In…Kalville. Silent Hill."

Pikachu's eyes widened.

Ash nodded, digging into his coat pocket. Taking out his wallet, he removed a postcard from deep inside it's pockets. It was the one from Kalville. Burnt around the edges, but showing him, Misty, May, Max…and another girl. "It's Alessa. Alessa Gillespie. This doll belongs to Alessa."

Pikachu's mouth went completely dry. Now he understood.

Ash sighed, staring at the writing on the postcard. The same font as the letter._Never forget_. "This is about the deal we made…"

Their minds went back to Kalville, back to the elementary school where they had spoken to Alessa. She had told them that they needed to get into Dakos' building and confront him if they wanted to stop the nightmare in that town…

* * *

Ash took a deep breath and looked Alessa in the eye.

Alessa Gillespie. The Empress of Silent Hill. The girl who slaughtered no less than five men when she rose. The girl who, he'd later find out, took out his eye. The commander of Pyramid Head. The person who started this utter hell.

She was responsible for turning Silent Hill into a hellhole a long time ago. And now she was back, doing the exact same thing to Kalville. It might've been Dakos who had taken her powers and went insane, but if it wasn't for her, none of this would've happened.

And here he was, agreeing to help her regain her power. So that he would be free of this insanity. And her? What would happen to her? Would she just walk away from this?

Of course he considered talking to the authorities. But what would he tell them? This immortal ten-year old girl was resurrected by an evil cult who wanted to take over the world and in order to evade their leader she transplanted her power into him and he created a horde of abominations that were from his mind and yet her power that killed a lot of people, and if you look at it from one perspective it's really his fault but it's also Dakos fault but it's really her fault? Even considering the strange things that happened in their world, who would believe him? He could barely understand it himself.

Where was the evidence? A scene of ghostly cultists that was pretty much impossible to replay, documents on a dead man's computer about stuff that may or may not have happened decades ago, and the testimony of several traumatized kids. Sure, there were the people hiding underneath the hospital who'd seen the monsters, but after seeing how scared they were, Ash wasn't willing to make them relive those events. And if he let it slip that he technically created those things…

It'd be easier to just blame the attacks on a freak horde of feral Pokemon (which, in a way, they were), or maybe the lunatic who loudly broadcasted his power while tossing around police cars. Nobody would buy that it was this girl who looked like his sister.

He hated it, but the truth was, he had to work with her if he wanted out of this. "Fine. I'll do what you want. I'll go into Dakos' building.

On one condition." He said automatically.

Alessa had raised her eyebrow. "Oh, really? Name it."

Ash didn't want Alessa to walk away unscathed from this mess. He had to make her pay for using him. Somehow. But what could he do? He was just a kid who trained Pokemon for a living. And since any evidence he could come up with was worthless, there was little point in going to the authorities.

There was really only one way he could think of.

"A battle."

Alessa blinked. As much as she could, with one eye still in her socket. "I'm sorry, what?"

Pikachu shared her confusion. "Pika?"

Ash shook his head, steeling himself. "You heard me. A battle. Like what you saw between me and Misty."

Alessa gave Ash an odd look. "Of all the things you could've asked me, why that? You've seen what I can do. You've seen what my creatures can do." She scratched her head. "Why would you-"

**"That's the deal!"** Ash snapped causing both Alessa and Pikachu to jump back in surprise. Pikachu stared at his master in concern. Ash steadied himself and shook his head clear. "When this is over. When I'm stronger. Just you… and me. That's the deal."

Not wanting Alessa to change his mind, Ash turned around and began walking out. He had said his piece, laid down his terms, and now he was going to end this nightmare.

Alessa had tried to stop him. "You're insane, Ash. Insane, masochistic and with almost no regard for your own life. You know that, don't you?"

* * *

Ash sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah. I know that." He said to no-one in particular. Pikachu was sitting beside him, sighing just as deeply.

Ash picked up the shoebox, examining it more carefully. No return address, just a note on the cover reading 'To Ash Ketchum' and a postmark from the post office. Any mail addressed to him that was dropped off there would be forwarded to his hotel room confidentially, so at least Alessa didn't know _exactly_ where he was staying. But she knew he was in town. And if she hand-delivered this without writing her address, than she was in town too. She was here, and she wanted Ash to know that.

Ash looked at the postcard again. The words still yelled at him, but then he noticed something else. This wasn't a random scrap of paper. In the corner was a stylized black flower. Not a lily, surprisingly. It hadn't been hand-drawn, so this paper was from…wherever Alessa had taken it from. An invitation card from a restaurant? Well, it was definitely an invitation…to whatever had a black flower as it's symbol.

This was it. The gauntlet had been thrown down. He would have to face Alessa Gillespie, one way or another.

Ash covered up the box and started slumping to bed. At least it could wait until tomorrow – he didn't have any fights scheduled. But how could he continue the competition when she was …

NO! Ash steeled himself, bringing himself back to reality. _No. Alessa might be here. But I've worked too hard to just throw the conference away. Whatever happens, I WON'T let her ruin this for me! I'm still going to face Paul, and I'm going to WIN this, even with HER here!_

Hoping that his determination might somehow repel any nightmares, Ash picked up Pikachu and started trudging off to bed. "Come on, buddy. Let's get to bed. One way or another, we're gonna need all the sleep we can get…"

* * *

Miles was incredibly frustrated. There were SUPPOSED to be Volbeat and Illumise in the park tonight, but the bug Pokemon had been a complete no-show. Normally, there were plenty of insects he could catch (he made some good money selling some to this creepy girl that liked collecting them) but the past few nights there hadn't been anything. Those trainers coming in for the conference, traipsing around and attacking them to buff up their battlers, they must've scared them all off!

But there weren't any trainers here…or anyone, in fact. It was just Miles here, armed with a butterfly net. There was no reason for the Pokemon to be absent from the park…unless they were deliberately avoiding him. The bug catcher growled with annoyance, cursing the silent night and the stadium in the distance. Talk about a wasted night. He was ready to give up and turn in for the night when he heard the ground rumbling.

"Eh?" This was the first movement Miles had heard since he got here…there hadn't even been any owls hooting or Kricketune chirping. But apparently, there was still at least one creature in the park.

He looked towards the source of the noise. A mound of dirt and grass was rising, falling and crumbling all at once in a linear line…a clear indicator of a Pokemon using Dig. Probably a Diglett or a Drillbur…or rather an Excadrill, judging by the size. The mound was moving very fast for something tunneling under the ground, and it was coming towards Miles at a rapid pace…

Realizing that it was too big to be a Nincada or anything he was interested in catching, Miles cautiously stepped away. Time to go home and get some sleep…maybe he'd have better luck in the daytime…

The moving mound suddenly cut him off, zipping right in front of him as if it was trying to herd him. Miles grunted with annoyance. "Outta my way, I gotta go! Dumb Dugtrio or whatev-"

What erupted out of the ground wasn't a Dugtrio.

It wasn't like anything Miles had ever seen before. It was the size and shape of an adult human, but the way it's spine shifted and twisted made it resemble a snake. The entire thing seemed to be covered in dirty white cloth, held together with numerous belts that made it resemble a straightjacket. Chains were dangling from several of the belts, chains that ended in deadly looking sharp instruments. Despite being inanimate chains, they moved like tentacles, menacingly displayed razor blades at Miles. A mouth appeared near the top of the tied-up snakelike human, letting out the most awful screech Miles had ever heard.

Anyone who made a living catching Bug Pokemon, many of which were the size of car tires and carried deadly poisons in their barbs, had to have nerves of steel. But this…thing Miles was staring at it…looking at it caused an otherworldly terror to grip his veins. As if this thing shouldn't exist at all. Miles was absolutely terrified of this thing, and realized that if he didn't leave NOW, he wouldn't live to see another night at the park.

Miles, who had once stared down a huge Scolipede and didn't back down, immediately dropped his net and ran away screaming. The creature flung one of it's chains at Miles, but luckily the bug catcher was too fast for it's attack. The blade imbedded itself on one of the trees, catching itself in the bark and preventing the monster from chasing Miles further. Once it was free, the creature vanished back underground.

The bug catcher didn't stop running until he made it back home, vowing to himself that he'd NEVER hunt alone at night ever again.

* * *

OK, new rule. I need at least 3 reviews from 3 different people for a chapter before I post the next one. Thank you for the encouragement, but I can handle some criticism. What works and what doesn't?


	6. Chapter 5

A quick Internet search revealed that 'The Black Chrysanthemum' was a restaurant/poetry club in the downtown district. It was easy enough to find the address, but what was difficult was getting there without Misty or Brock shadowing him. The last thing he wanted was for them to know that Alessa was in town.

Fortunately, Brock was easy enough to distract by asking him to train his Pokemon for the day. He spun a yarn about how it might be helpful for his Pokemon to get training from another person for a while. Broadening their perspectives, maybe Brock could see something Ash couldn't, fresh eyes, all that jazz. Who knows, maybe it would be helpful.

Misty was harder to shake. She couldn't be convinced that her perspective would be more beneficial that Brock's, she couldn't be swayed by a shopping trip to the mall, and she couldn't be tricked into seeing some imaginary water Pokemon show on the other end of town. It was almost as if she KNEW Ash was hiding something.

"Look." Ash finally laid it out. "I just want a day to myself, ok? I just…I had a late night last night, figure it's the stress from the tournament and when we ran into Paul. I wanna relax, check out the town, take my mind off Pokemon battling and Paul for one day. And I can't relax with you and Brock constantly over my shoulder looking at me like I'm going to snap at any second!"

"But Ash…"

"I'll. Be. Fine. There's a restaurant I wanna check out, and then there's that arcade down on Main Street. I've got Pikachu with me, and I've got my phone if anything happens. Besides, I hear the police in town are the best in Sinnoh. I'll meet up with you guys tonight for dinner. I just need an 'alone-day' today. Okay?"

Misty thought for a minute. Something was off…then again, as the youngest of three overbearing and obnoxious sisters, Misty could understand the need for an 'alone-day'. It was clear that Ash wasn't going to let her follow her, and if she tried tailing him at a distance he might think that she didn't trust him…

Eventually, Misty nodded. "Alright. I'll give you a call later, so let me know what you're up to. OK?"

Ash smiled, satisfied. "Thanks, Mist. I promise, I'll be okay."

Misty shrugged. "We're…worried, that's all. It's been a really insane year, with Mashura, Paul, Team Galactic, the…um…"

"The orphanage." Ash finished. Brock had clearly briefed Misty on what had happened over the last year. "I'm fine. I swear. Relax. We walked away from the St. Anne, the Beast of the Sea, Greenfield…you know. I can handle things."

Misty was still unsure, and that pause after he mentioned Greenfield…his eyes got faraway for a second, and Misty suspected that he was going to mention…that town…

"Alright." Misty relented. "I'll…see if I can help Brock out with your Pokemon. But call me. Okay?"

Ash nodded. "I will. See you later, Misty." He waved before walking off.

Misty bit her lip, resisting the urge to follow her friend. Something was up, but she couldn't put her finger on it… of course, it could've just been Ash wanting to go somewhere his mom wouldn't have approved of. And with all the trainer-DNA scanners around town, Ash wouldn't be able to go anywhere that was too…adult. Maybe she was worried over nothing.

As soon as he was out of earshot of Misty, Ash whooped a sigh of relief. It looked like Misty had believed him. All he had to do was give Misty a call later. At least Misty wouldn't be…too worried about him.

Right now, he only wanted to deal with _one_ girl he was afraid of.

* * *

Although the Lily of the Valley Island was famous as the location of the Sinnoh Tournament, it had a thriving artistic and entertainment community. In fact, the tournament stadium had originally been an outdoor performance theatre. The town had been founded by poets and authors drawn to the beauty of the native flowers, and the older part of town was devoted to fancy arthouses and galleries. High-end restaurants, poetry clubs and theatres.

The Black Chrysanthemum was one of these locations. The black flower that was on the card was emblazoned on the tinted windows. There was a bouncer with a tie by the waiting by the doorway, rather than just a white DNA-scanner. Looking at him made Ash nervous, but not nearly as nervous as the thought of who was waiting behind that door…

Ash finally gathered up the courage to step inside…and was stopped by the bouncer.

"I'm sorry sir, but you can't bring your Pokemon inside." He told the trainer, keeping his nose in the air.

Ash blinked. "What? Why?"

The bouncer glanced at the restaurant. "This place was originally the White Chrysanthemum. A few years after this establishment was built, there was an incident regarding the quality of the manager's poems. The instigator of that incident had an Infernape with him. The building nearly burned to the ground. The new owner renamed it the Black Chrysanthemum and established new rules to ensure no repeat incidents. If you wish, you can leave your Pokemon at the care facility down the road."

Ash groaned, looking at his equally disappointed Pikachu. He really wanted his best friend with him when he confronted Alessa. But it looked that that wasn't in the cards. He had to face her today…here, now.

Ash scratched his friend's head as he walked to the 'care facility'. "I'm sorry, buddy. I gotta do this. I'll make it up to you tonight, ok?" he promised.

Pikachu stared at Ash, not bothering to hide his concern. "Pikapi…"

"I'm gonna be okay. I'm just talking to her. Nothing's gonna happen." Ash promised.

_Yeah. Just talk. Just talk to the most dangerous girl in the world. Alone. What's the worst that could happen?_

* * *

The Black Chrysanthemum was…dark. It wasn't just the tinted windows (although they weren't so bad on this side), the black curtains, the obsidian tables, or the deep red wallpapers. Almost everything in this place was morbid. The flowers were almost all black or dark purple, the paintings were almost exclusively of fires or skeletons, and the customers were almost all wearing black clothes and makeup. Ash felt like he was obnoxiously bright in this dreary place, even though his jacket was technically black.

Luckily, nobody paid him much attention as he walked up to the bar. The bartender, a young man with black lipstick and piercings, came up to him. "You must be new here. Welcome to the Black Chrysanthemum. May I offer you something to drink?"

"No…just water." Ash stammered. Ash wasn't thirsty, but the truth was that he had no idea what he was supposed to do now that he was here. Alessa had used that card on purpose…now he was here. She'd have to make the next move.

The bartender walked off, and Ash looked around. At the rear of the restaurant was a stage with a microphone stand. Ash considered walking up there and demanding to know where Alessa was, but it was already occupied by a woman in a black dress. "Now, in remembrance of those who died in the fire of the White Chrysanthemum, I offer a poem."

Ash didn't really hear the words she spoke, but he got the gist that it was about death. The bartender returned with his water. "Huh." He remarked. "A poem with a lot of death. Strange way to remember."

The bartender set down his water. "Death is a part of life, man. If you don't accept it, you can't really live."

Ash didn't contradict that. He might still be young, but he wasn't that naïve. He knew what death was. He'd seen people and Pokemon die. He once watched a Pokemon's final moments through their eyes. Heck, he'd 'died' once himself. Death didn't faze him as much as other people thought it would…which was kind of disturbing in and of itself.

Just then, a waitress dropped a red cup topped with whipped cream next to Ash. Ash stared at the beverage in confusion. "Um…I didn't order anything."

"Compliments of the girl at table 3." The waitress gestured behind her. Ash looked back at where she had pointed and froze.

She was there. There was no mistaking it. It was her. Sitting at the table, knife picking at a salad, smiling and waving and looking straight at him, was Alessa Gillespie. It was her eyes, the ones that looked exactly like his. Her hair had been done up in her usual ponytail. She was wearing the exact same trucker's vest and cap she wore when he first bumped into her. When she'd called herself 'Alyx'.

Ash started shivering. This was it. He was alone, and SHE was here. SHE was…Ash shook his head clear. _I'm NOT afraid of her. I'm NOT. _Steeling himself, he got up off the bar stool and walked up towards table three.

The worst part about her smile was that it felt genuine. Like she really was happy to see him again. "Hello, Ash. I was wondering when you'd show up. How's it going?"

"Fine." Ash replied tersely. Mustering all his self-control, he took the seat across from her and sat on his hands so he wouldn't be tempted to wrap them around her throat.

"I see." Alessa remarked, not at all surprised by the non-answer. What did surprise her was Ash's unmarked face. "Huh. You should've kept that scar. It made you look tougher."

Ash growled, removing his hands from his seat and ripping off his gloves. "I got new ones!" he snapped, presenting the burn he had received in Mashura.

Alessa tilted her head to investigate the mark. "Halo of the sun…Pyramid Head?"

"Yeah." Ash answered sourly. "He branded this on me in Mashura over a thousand years ago."

Alessa just blinked.

"Long story." Ash sighed, replacing his glove. That wasn't important. He had to get back on topic. "Why are you here?"

Alessa chuckled. "I live here. Been here since…well, I moved here after Kalville burned down."

Ash tensed up. "Were you WAITING for me?"

Alessa laughed out loud. "Ahahahahaha…Ash, my life does not revolve around you. I came here because this place is a good place for authors and artists."

It was Ash's turn to blink. "You're into art?"

"Mm-hmm." Alessa nodded, digging into her purse. "My dad was a writer, so I got into writing in my second life. I'm not a trainer, so I gotta pay the bills somehow."

"Lemme guess…horror novels?" Ash snorted.

Alessa smirked. "Not quite…" Alessa presented a paperback novel and placed it on the table. _Mysteries of the Past World. Book one: History. By Harold Mason_ "Historical fiction. Adventure. Little bit of romance." Alessa opened the book to the first page. "Well…I suppose there's horror in the later chapters. I guess I always had a fascination for the morbid. That's why I like this place…"

Ash seethed inwardly. It wasn't what she was saying as much as…the _way_ she was saying it. She was so…casual. Like she was talking with her friend. He was confronting one of the most ruthless, cold-blooded murderesses he had ever known. She was having a dinner date with a friend she hadn't seen in years.

Alessa nodded to the wall on her left. "…This piece here is my favorite."

Ash glanced up at where she was looking and a chill went down his spine. It was a painting, one that he had definitely seen before…no. He'd seen what the painting was of firsthand.

It was a city on fire. A city across a lake. Colossal pillars of fire reached into the sky, devouring the festive decorations and stone buildings. The lake water was dyed crimson with reflections. Deep inside the flames were shadows of…things, one of which resembled a young girl, standing in the very center of the blaze.

Alessa tapped the painting's frame. "One of the Kalville survivors painted this, and donated it to the restaurant. What do you think?"

Ash swallowed. That picture was a snapsnot of the Kalville fire, what had signified the end of what had been the worst time of his life. But he didn't feel revulsion or anger. Watching that fire had felt cathartic at the time, all the horrible things in the town being reduced to nothing but ashes. He had seen it and knew that it was all over. At least, he thought it had been at the time. Hoped it had been. Looking at this painting…he almost felt that catharsis again. It was beautiful.

"It's…nice. Looks like…the fire." Ash eventually allowed himself to say.

"I told you the lake looked like blood when there was a fire." Alessa reminded him.

Ash turned back to her. "How…how did you know that?"

Alessa sighed, her eyes becoming faraway. "Right before I died…the first time, anyway, I went back to Silent Hill. Set it ablaze myself. Watched it burn from the very shoreline I sent you to."

The boy groaned. This conversation had been getting too casual, he had to remind himself what kind of person Alessa was. "What do you want?" he demanded sharply.

Alessa saw that Ash meant business, so she got to the point herself. "I want to know if you still want that battle." She answered, looking Ash straight in the eye.

Ash stared right back. "Do you?"

"I was the one who said it was crazy, remember?" She reminded him, before shaking her head. "You held up your part of the bargain. I suppose I have to hold up mine…but if you want to back out now, I'd understand."

Ash froze. Alessa was seriously giving him a chance to walk away? A chance to drop this deal? A chance to forget her and Kalville for good? "Why bring this up now?" he finally asked.

Alessa hesitated before speaking again. "I have...something going on. A project. It'll be ready at the end of the year, and…well, once it's finished, I'll be out of your hair for good. " she smiled wryly. "So…if you want to have that fight, it'll have to be before the year is over. But if you want to drop that part of the bargain, you can. I won't hold it against you. We can just…" Alessa raised her hand, presenting it for a shake. "…shake hands, leave and that'll be it."

Ash just stared at Alessa's hand for a minute. She had lied to him the first time they met, but…somehow, Ash could tell that she wasn't lying. She was genuinely offering to drop the fight altogether. Ash could take her offer and walk away, focus on his dream and leave Kalville in the past, and she could…

She could walk away.

After everything she did to him, everything Silent Hill did to him, she was just going to walk away. He hated not being able to punish her.

Just like the first time, when she shot Dakos in the head right in front of him. And he couldn't do anything. And then there was Mashura. Pyramid Head sliced Herlim in two and fed him to his dogs. Right in front of him. And he couldn't do anything. The orphanage. The water house. The Missionary killed Adrian. Right in front of him. And he couldn't do anything. He hated not being able to do anything.

Every time Silent Hill came into his life, it made him helpless. Worthless. Everything he did amounted to running away. Fleeing the fire in Mashura. Escaping the water house. He _hated_ running.

Ash tensed up, his features warping into a glare. No. No, he wasn't going to let Alessa walk away. He wasn't going to do nothing. He wasn't going to run away.

"No." Ash answered. Alessa's smile faded.

"No. We're having that fight. I'm not walking away." He spoke with finality. There was no turning back now.

Alessa sighed and retreated her hand. "Very well. When?"

Ash's first thought was to fight her here and now, but then he remembered the tournament. He had been training for this for months. He wasn't going to risk it all over _her_. "After the tournament. It ends in a month. Then we'll fight."

Alessa shrugged. "Alright. Your decision." The girl got up and left the table. Just before she walked out of the Black Chrysanthemum, she turned around and spoke to Ash one more time.

"I'll see you again soon. You'd better be ready."

And as Alessa vanished from sight once again, Ash suddenly doubted that he would ever be ready.

And here it is! Don't forget to review.


	7. Chapter 6

t was an eerily quiet Ash that came back to pick up his Pikachu at the care facility. He barely acknowledged anything around him, even as he had to pay the caretakers for watching his Pokemon for the hour. The mouse Pokemon chirped in confusion as he hopped onto his master's shoulders, nuzzling his cheek with a silent inquiry.

"I'm fine, buddy." Ash told him. "I just…" _Alessa gave he a chance to drop our fight and I didn't take it._ "…We're going to face her when the tournament is over."

Piakchu's eyes widened. _That soon?_

Ash nodded slowly, trying to walk down the street. It was almost sundown, and he'd promised he'd meet his friends at one of the restaurants for dinner in exchange for his 'alone-day'. There was a shortcut through one of the alleyways, so Ash trudged through the shadowed alley.. "Yeah. So…we can get stronger during the tournament. And if things go wrong…with her, I mean, we'll at least have…won…"

Ash started shaking and nearly collapsed, leaning his hand on a nearby wall to keep himself upright. It had never occurred to him until now just what he'd just agreed to. What would he be fighting? Alessa's creatures. He'd seen what they could do. He knew what Alessa would be willing to do. Was he actually going to put his friends up against _that_?

Then again, one of the first conversations he'd had with 'Alyx' was that Pokemon were a lot more resilient than humans, able to take attacks that would kill normal people. And his Pokemon had survived nearly being killed on multiple occasions. Charizard nearly had his neck snapped by an invincible Entei construct. Pikachu had faced off against two giant invincible ancient Pokemon once. And who's to say they wouldn't see those things as just…scarier looking Pokemon to fight? As long as he was careful…

But if he wasn't careful…he couldn't imagine what would happen. Would they survive? Would he survive? Would they ever trust him again? Would _he_ ever trust himself again? Would he be allowed to train? Was this his last shot at his dream, ever? His last chance? All over a deal he could've just ended? Would it be worth it?

But he couldn't walk away. He threw that chance away. He HAD to face her. He HAD to beat her. He had to beat Silent Hill. He had to beat the nightmares. He had to beat Alessa Gillespie.

Ash opened his eyes, staring blankly at his shadow on the wall. What was he supposed to do now? It was stressful enough with the tournament and Paul, but now Alessa! He had to think. His friends could wait, the tournament could wait, Paul could wait, he just needed some time to think…

And then his shadow jumped out at him.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Ash stumbled backwards in shock, landing on his back on the ground. His hat dislodged and covered his eyes, and when he moved it he saw a grinning wild Gengar laughing at his pain.

"Oh, you think you're funny, do ya?!" Ash snapped, enraged that his thoughts had been rudely interrupted by this prankster. The Gengar just nodded in response, still chuckling at the boys reaction. "Oh yeah?! Pikachu, thunderbolt! Go!"

Pikachu was all too happy to blast this pest, and let loose with a powerful Thunderbolt at the offending ghost. While the Gengar definitely felt it, it shrugged it off and retaliated with rings of blue energy. Pikachu tried zapping him again, but the sparks fizzled from Pikachu's cheeks as Gengar blasted him with Dark Pulse. _He must've used Disable_, but Thunderbolt wasn't Pikachu's only attack. "Use Iron Tail, now!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu quickly picked himself up and charged up his tail, running at the frustrating ghost. Pikachu's glowing tail smashed right into Gengar, sending him flying into the alley wall. Gengar was too stunned to make himself incorporeal, and just fell to the ground stunned.

An idea struck Ash. Digging into his backpack, he found a Pokeball and immediately tossed it at the Gengar. Before the ghost could react, the ball had struck him and he was enveloped in red light. The ball clattered to the ground, shaking once…twice…_beep_.

Ash couldn't resist a fist pump. Yes! This Gengar would come in handy against Paul…

Paul…Ash's smile faded. What did that jerk matter anymore? What was the point? Alessa was going to cost him everything, one way or the other. What did one rival matter anymore? It wasn't Paul he wanted to defeat. It was HER. If he could defeat HER…finally best her, be rid of her…that was all that mattered…

Ash shook his head clear. No. No. He wasn't going to obsess over Alessa. She wouldn't…she wouldn't control him like that. Right now, there was the tournament. And if Alessa really was going to ruin everything for him in the end, then that just made it more important. His last chance for the trophy. He was going to WIN this one.

No matter what.

Ash picked up the Pokeball carrying his new Gengar and walked out of the alley with Pikachu. He'd see his friends again, act casual, do some small talk. Then he'd go to the hotel and get some sleep. Hopefully, his trusted sleeping pills would keep the nightmares away.

And then it was training for the next fight. He was going to win this. And then next one, and the one after that, all the way up to the finals. If Paul was one of those victories, great. But he was going to go for the gold. Make himself stronger for Alessa. One last chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Ash managed to smile. He was going to beat this tournament. He was going to beat Paul.

And more importantly, he was going to beat Alessa.

* * *

On the other side of town, in one of the old warehouses, three part-time crooks, part-time shopkeepers were busy creating merchandise to sell. Jessie was sewing fabric to make dolls, James was creating imitation badge, and Meowth was counting the money they'd made that day.

"Dis was a good sales day, Jess." Meowth commented. "Maybe tomorrow we can afford a real place t' sleep."

"That'd be wonderful." Jessie sighed. "Oh, what I wouldn't give for a hotel room with room service, a Jacuzzi, a minibar…"

"I'd settle for a pillow and Cable." James remarked wistfully.

Jessie scowled at her partner before returning to her sewing. "Whatever. We should save up for another machine, anyway. We gotta steal some Tournament Pokemon for the boss!"

"Uhhh…about dat." Meowth interjected nervously. "I called da boss while you was shilling your fake badges and such. He…uh, wants us to lay low. Forget about stealin' Pokemon fer now."

Jessie and James stared at Meowth like he'd grown a second head. "…What? Why?"

Meowth shrugged. "Boss wasn't too eager to say. Somethin' about a recent lack of personnel…I guess a lot of operatives have been jailed or something. Ain't ya noticed we haven't heard from anybody lately?"

Jessie scratched her chin in thought. "Come to think of it…when was the last time anyone other than us made the news?"

"Team Rocket's the biggest criminal organization in Kanto…so why haven't we heard anything about it?" James asked.

"Like I said, boss won't talk." Meowth admitted. "He just wants us to stay outta trouble and not attract attention. So let's just sell dis junk fer now. We can always steal Pokemon later."

Jessie and James glanced at each other, still somewhat confused. Giovanni was usually the one demanding that they steal Pokemon for him, and now he was telling them to stop? And why hadn't they heard about Team Rocket's activities in so long? Something was definitely up…but they weren't going to question the boss's orders.

"Okay, fine." Jessie accepted, going back to her sewing. "But we better get an explanation soon."

"WOBBUFFET!"

"Dat's not an explanation…"

* * *

The Lily of the Valley Island Botanical Gardens. A steel-and-glass dome almost as big as the stadium, filled to the brim with rare and beautiful plants. The inside almost looked like a jungle, with gigantic leaves and palm fronds crowding the air above visitor's heads. Bug, Grass and Fairy Pokemon used for pollination buzzed freely about, making sure each and every flower was taken care of. There were some truly gorgeous flowers, with petals displaying the most awe-inspiring of patterns.

Alessa wasn't interested in any of them.

Instead, she kept walking towards another corner of the gardens. The Botanical Gardens also boasted a collection of rare plants, some of which were almost extinct outside the gardens. They were kept behind glass, preserved very carefully so they could be seen without endangering the flowers themselves.

It was one of these flowers that Alessa wanted to see. It wasn't the rarest plant here, or even the most unique. It looked unspectacular, at least compared to the more exotic plants around it. It wasn't even blooming yet. The picture on the glass case showed a small peony, as red as blood.

Alessa touched the glass as if to caress the flower behind it. She stared at it sadly, thinking about the future.

Ash seemed to think she was liar, but really, the only thing she'd lied to him about was her name. She certainly hadn't been lying at the Black Chrysanthemum. She was truly willing to let Ash walk away from that little agreement.

And she wasn't lying when she said that she'd be out of his hair for good soon…

* * *

Happy New Year! Don't forget to review!


	8. Chapter 7

Dinner at the restaurant was…well, Ash was sure it was fine. He talked about his freshly caught Gengar, but he barely heard any more conversation. He didn't remember much of the food, but it tasted fine. He asked Brock if he'd come up with any new strategies for training, and he told him…something about Muk and Shadow Punch. Maybe he needed to pay a little more attention to Muk? When Misty had asked about his alone-day, he made up some story about a weird art gallery he thought would be cool but turned out too morbid for him. That was close enough to the truth, wasn't it?

Now that he thought about it, he'd acted more than a little distracted that night. But at least everybody thought it was about the tournament. He had another fight…wasn't that right? Yeah, he had one more fight that wasn't Paul or Alessa. He'd have to think about how he'd approach this girl. If he lost before the tournament was over, before he at least got the chance to face Paul…

No. No, that wouldn't happen. He'd face Paul. That much was certain. And then he'd face Alessa, come what may.

There were no nightmares that night.

While most participants of the Lily of the Valley conference trained their Pokémon at home or were confident enough to think the early rounds would be training enough, there was a huge training facility in town for visitors. It looked like another skyscraper from the outside, with a stylized flower coming out of a Pokeball as it's symbol. Each floor had a simulation room that could perfectly mimic any of the stadium fields, wide enough to hold a triple battle. The bottom ten floors were open to the public and almost always full, and every floor above could be reserved for a day or the entire tournament for a substantial fee.

Ash had managed to purchase one of the upper rooms for the entire tournament. It was expensive, and Ash had already used up a lot of money to get his Mom a nice hotel room. Luckily, he managed to use a few commercial endorsements to get some extra cash – apparently some advertisers felt he looked like the archetypical trainer and was perfect for their ads. On his way to the elevator, he turned to see a poster of him smiling and holding up a can of Hoopa soda. The drink for trainers everywhere, endorsed by the boy that embodied trainers everywhere. Chuckling to himself, he walked past and went to the elevator.

His Pokémon were waiting for him on the 18th floor. He'd long since established how important this tournament was, so he trusted them to train on their own time, or at least relax between supervised training sessions. The training facility guaranteed their safety, and considering the security measures in this place (he had to pass one DNA scanner to enter the building, another to board the elevator and another to stop at his floor) he was sure they were safe.

Everybody was excited to see him when he disembarked. Gliscor and Gabite (Who had evolved during a recent training session) nearly jumped on top of him when he arrived. Muk promptly jumped on him the second Ash had shaken the last two off. Sceptile and Infernape looked up from their game of rock-paper-scissors to wave hello. Everyone else just chirped happily, except one.

Ash looked to the side. Lurking off to the side and watching intently was Houndoom. A few weeks after he'd returned home from…the incident, this Houndoom had just appeared at Oak's Lab. He seemed to stay away from everyone and wouldn't let Ash or anyone else catch him, but he seemed to have appointed himself as the watchdog of Ash's Pokémon. Ash liked to think this was the evolved form of the Houndour he had saved at the water tower.

Once he'd finally got out from under Muk, Ash picked himself up. "OK, guys. Hello to you too." Ash dug into his bag and took out the Pokeball. "So, let's get to business. I know this is really, really last-minute, but this is Gengar. I caught him last night."

The ball popped open to reveal the floating Ghost Pokémon. Gengar looked at the group of Pokémon waving hello to him and grinned even wider. While he was annoyed that he wouldn't be able to prank random passersby now that he was a trainer's Pokémon, something told him that this was going to be fun. Though that Houndoom glaring at him from the side made him very nervous…

The introduction was smooth enough, so Ash relaxed a little. "He's new, so I'm going to be paying special attention to him for just a little bit, just so I can get a hang of battling with him. But don't think I'm going to ignore you or stop training you. It's going to be a hard couple weeks, and I need all of you to be ready…"

Ash froze up. Ready for what? Ready for Paul, for the final fight of the tournament, or for…no. They didn't need to know about Alessa. All they needed to know was that they needed to be stronger for the conference. That was all that mattered right now. _Just keep focusing on the tournament,_ he kept thinking to himself._ Don't think about her. Not now. _

Ash shook his head clear to see that all his Pokémon were looking at him with concern. He smiled wanly. "Sorry…kinda phased out for a second. Nervous about the next fight. Speaking of which, I think she prioritizes defense over offense, so here's how we're gonna go about fighting her…"

-

It was a good thing Ash had come when he did, because if he had come a few minutes later, he would've likely run into Paul again. And neither of them would've been happy to see each other.

Normally, Paul wouldn't have bothered about Ash. He was just another trainer to beat. Their 'rivalry' was completely one-sided. There was no question at all who was the better trainer. Paul simply used more effective tactics, better training, stronger Pokémon. Ash was just another naive, lazy, softhearted simpleton.

Which is why the advertisement on the first floor irritated Paul so much.

Paul knew how advertisers worked. If they couldn't convince a well-known celebrity to endorse their product, they would use someone who represented – or just looked like they represented – the majority of the customers. _This guy is you,_ they said. _So you'll agree with him about buying our product._

And the idea that ASH represented the majority of trainers everywhere just…bothered Paul.

He wasn't jealous that Ash got the role, mind you. It was a stupid ad on a poster, nothing more. What bothered Paul was that it set a terrible precedent.

Why was ASH the archetypical trainer? The lazy, self-righteous twit that Paul had massacred at the lake? The boy who wouldn't understand how to bring out the true strength of his Pokémon if you hit him over the head with the right methods? He'd still clung to his laughable ideals even after Paul had definitively proven him wrong again and again. No sensible trainer acted like he did…no sensible trainer _should've_ acted like he did. So why was HE the one chosen as the 'quintessential trainer'?

Was that what the majority of trainers out there were really like? Childish buffoons, spoon-fed platitudes about how winning didn't really matter? Irresponsible slackers with no focus and no real drive to succeed? Stuck in a limbo of mediocrity because they're too afraid to do what it took to push themselves forward? Was Paul the _exception_?

The worst part was that Paul could believe it. Too many trainers he'd faced were the same. Praising their Pokémon even when they failed utterly. Dismissing his training methods as cruel and unusual even when they saw the results for themselves. Being more concerned about their friendships that their alleged dreams.

Even Cynthia, somebody he'd once admired, echoed their sentiments. Out loud, anyway. There was no way someone espousing that childish philosophy could've gotten her Pokémon that powerful. Her 'advice' was hollow, something that echoed popular sentiment that wouldn't let weaklings accept that they just didn't have the skills to succeed. Something good for kids like Ash to hear. He knew she had to have trained her Pokémon like he did. In some way, at least. It was the only explanation for how she'd beaten him so thoroughly despite how strong he was.

Paul shook his head clear. He couldn't dwell on past losses. He just needed to think about his future victories. And he WAS going to win. He was going to change everything.

There would be no false modesty. No phony philosophies. When he won the tournament, when he defeated the champion (and he would, he knew Cynthia's strategies inside and out), he was going to show the world what it truly took to succeed. What it really meant to be a Pokemon master. _He _would be the archetypical trainer. Not Ash.

Paul stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. The door shut, blocking Paul's view of that poster. Sometimes Paul wished he was willing to put up with the amateur trainers that frequented this floor, just so he could accidentally destroy that stupid smile on Ash's face.

Then again, it would be a lot more satisfying to destroy that stupid smile on his face in person when the tournament was over.

Read and review! And when I say 'review', I don't mean one line saying 'great, keep it up'. Let me know what you really think of what's happening in the story, if anything seems off, or if I'm doing something particularly good.


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